Make this Last Forever
by StuckFish
Summary: Reincarnation fic set in the 50s. Arthur is a mob boss, who owns a club that Gwen ends up working in. Inspired by the Dancing on the Edge trailer.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my first ever fic. I was watching the new DOTE trailer and it inspired me to write this fic. I wanted to make Arthur a really bad boy, so I made him a mob boss. I also always loved the idea of the Once and Future King and Queen which also made me write this fic, but I'm not sure how many other characters I want to reincarnate. This first chapter merely sets the scene, but I have some of the rest of the story planned out.**_

_**I apologize for any errors that still remain after proof reading. Hope you enjoy.**_

Arthur slowly exhaled the smoke from his cigar, admiring the jet of white mist that eventually blended with the rest of the already dimly lit smoke filled room. His eyelids felt heavy, with the almost hypnotic sound of the plucked cello and pinging piano backing the smooth slurring saxophone, the band veiled from all the cigar smoke. He felt a slim figure press closer to his arm, a smooth hand stroke his cheeks and then down to his neck, an unfamiliar voice mumbling in his ear.

He was tired. His head constantly pounded. The authorities were becoming more competent it seemed-they would need to find a more effective way of smuggling the cash. But how? Arthur let out a sigh- he did not want to think about all of this now. He came to the club to rid himself of his current troubles, not drown himself in them. He gave up the battle and allowed his eyes to close.

The music stopped. His mind transported him somewhere other than the club, somewhere that seemed so far away, in another world, another time. He was in a room with stonewalls. He saw a flash of jet-black curly hair, as he took in a smell-of what he did not know, but it felt so familiar. And he liked it; really liked it. Out of nowhere came a girl's laughter- so soft. Yet it sent a shiver down his spine, and his eyes snapped open. He must be more tired than he thought- his mind transporting him to such strange places of his imagination. Or was it only his imagination. The vision in his head sent an unexpected sensation throughout his body-a feeling of longing. For what exactly, he did not know.

He jerked forward, shaking his head, causing the girl who had pressed herself against him stroking his neck to spring back. He threw his cigar in the ashtray before grabbing his glass, draining the last of the brandy and smacked his glass on the table. He wiped his lips and turned sideways, to the pretty blond girl next to him. And pretty she was, with her full rosy lips and smooth cheeks. Arthur smiled his signature crooked smile, as he tactfully moved his eyes to meet the girl's own brown eyes. He came here to have fun, not worry or feel strange emotions. And fun he should have, as he stood up from the red leather seats, hand in hand with the nameless girl as he lead her to the rooms up the stairs from the lounge. Fun is exactly what he intended to have…

Gwen quickened her pace, her shoes clacking even louder as they met with the pavements of London's back alley streets. She did not want to be late for this job interview; she needed this job more than anything in the world. She tightened her worn out coat, with the jet-black locks bouncing rhythmically with her strides. She sharply turned another corner, before halting to a stop.

_This must be it,_ she thought. She stood in front of what seemed a normal looking door located on a small street lost in the labyrinth that is London, with the words "Chicago Club" written in blue on a white sign board posted above the door. She looked up at the building to which the door led to find that all blinds were closed. _Don't mess this up, you desperately need this_. She took in a deep breath as she nervously knocked at the door…


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks so much for all the reviews. I know I took forever for get the next chapter, but I had written it, but then it got deleted, and I just didn't have the motivation to write it again. Anyways, I found some free time and some courage to re-write it (more or less like the original). So here it is and I hope you enjoy._

The door swung open and Gwen was greeted by a short girl with short brown hair. She ushered Gwen in before slamming the door shut. It took Gwen by surprise how beautiful and elegant the inside of the building was. She was not exactly sure what she was expecting when she walked in, but judging by the location and the shabbiness of the exterior, it certainly was not this. The girl gestured Gwen towards the sitting area in the middle of the room before disappearing into another room.

It was a clean spacious room with a white marble floor and two winding stair cases-one going down to the basement below where the faint bass of a cello could be heard and one leading to the upper level. An old man with long white hair was down on his knees polishing the floor, deep in thought and indifferent to his surroundings. Gwen felt a pang of pity. He looked so frail. So lonely.

Gwen cleared her throat.

'Good afternoon,' she chirped, flashing her brightest smile.

The old man jolted and looked up. Their gazes met, his eyes being a piercing electric blue_._ The man smiled wordlessly before returning to polish the floor.

They were interrupted by the _clack-clack_ of heels on marble, as the girl reappeared with a pen and some papers in her hands.

'Sorry about the wait. My name is Sheena, I am the manager here, and you must be Guinevere.'

Gwen nodded and added 'Gwen's fine.' _Don't mess this up. You need this. Whatever the terms, accept them. Say what she wants you to say._

'Well Gwen, you can start today. Your duties are to clean the place until your can see your own reflection everywhere and anything else that you are told to do while staying out of the guests' way, especially the owner of the club. You _really_ do not want to annoy him.'

Gwen remained still, as the words slowly sank in_. I've got the job- I actually have a job_. Sure, the 'interview' was a bit strange. She expected to be asked about her work values, a bit more about herself, her past experiences. Anything really. But Gwen found herself caring less and less about the peculiarity of the situation. All that mattered is that she finally had a job. She could finally stand on her own two feet since her brother died.

Sheena smiled back. 'Earnest here can show you around, where things are kept and how things are done,' she added, gesturing to the old man.

Arthur ran his fingers through his hair, in an attempt to make it flat. He grabbed his jacket from the floor before leaving the bedroom, feeling more relaxed. _The girl certainly knew how to do her job_, he thought as he slammed the door behind him and hurried down the winding stairs.

He glanced at his watch. _Oh God_, it was nearly twelve. Funny how time flies when one's having fun. He had a meeting with his "banker" in an hour and he was going to be late. Well, since he was late he might as well have lunch; all that fun made him _very_ hungry. He thought to ask for the manager, (what _was_ her name? Sheila? Shelly?) but decided it would be quicker if he went to the kitchens himself. Besides, he liked the way he made the staff nervous in his presence.

He stormed into the kitchen and barked an order for lunch, much to the surprise of a young boy, who, Arthur presumed was the kitchen boy. Arthur found it almost comical the way the brown haired boy jumped upon hearing the sound of his voice and started to scurry frantically around, stammering "yes sir" every few breaths.

"I want it brought out to the lounge. And I want it quickly," Arthur ordered as he opened the kitchen door and made his way out to the lounge, catching a small squeaky "yes sir" as he walked away.

Gwen was late to bring the food out. The cook took ages to be found and she had to be told how to serve the dish. _The white sauces goes with the vegetables, the light brown with the salad, the dark brown with the meat, the amber-brown with the…_and on and on it went. She tried to walk faster, but the plates and the glass in her hand had other ideas. They required a slow and steady pace and the to be the sole focus of her eyes. It did not help that she was not exactly sure where she was going. _Why does someone need a separate bowl for salad and a separate basket for bread? Can't it just all go on one plate?_ _Rich people._ Gwen shook her head, telling herself to concentrate on the task ahead: get the food to the lounge. Come to think of it, she wasn't exactly sure whom the food was for.

Arthur impatiently tapped his feet, as he checked his watch-again. The lounge was quite; the band no longer practicing. _What does it take to get food around here? _ He decided he could not wait much longer, as he briskly made his way to the kitchens.

Gwen was sure that it was this corridor that led to the club lounge. Breathing some sort of relief, she turned the corner and-_crash_. She remembered seeing a suit and black tie seconds before she walked right into it, sending the plates flying. Gwen let out a small scream before freezing in shock.

The wearer of the suit and tie did not move. Gwen slowly lifted up her eyes. She saw that the previously white shirt was now splattered with an array of sauces, finished with small bits of salad leaves hanging off. She gulped as she forced her eyes to look further up. They met with a pair of icy blue eyes. She could hear the heavy breathing of a strong pair of lungs. Both screamed of anger.

It hurt to swallow in the crying. Her eyes were full of warm tears, and Gwen was shaking.

She was sitting on an upside-down bucket in the broom cupboard.

_The first day back and she managed to ruin it already. She managed to spill the owner's lunch on the owner._

She could not remember much of what happened afterwards. She heard a small shriek as Sheena came scurrying in, frantically trying to wipe the food from the suit. She felt a pair of boney, fragile hands grab her shoulders, guiding her away from that corridor. She remembered a kindly voice telling her everything was going to be fine. All the while, _he_ said absolutely nothing. He just stood there, and did nothing.

Gwen had to fight back a new wave of tears. _She won't let this break her_. She needed this. Ever since her brother was shot, she had never been able to get her life back together. This was her chance. _She won't let those mobsters who shot him ruin her life too._

_Writer's note: I know it was a slow chapter, but I really wanted to set things up and for them to have their first encounter. I debated with myself a lot about how this first encounter should go, and I decided that it definitely shouldn't go well, and that was the scenario I decided to go with. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and reviews would be very much welcomed :)._


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